Credit card statements that show purchases you didn’t make Statements from credit card companies you don’t have an account with Collection notices for debts that aren’t yours Mistakes on your credit reports from the three credit agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion[2] X Research source
Report it online by visiting www. consumer. ftc. gov/features/feature-0014-identity-theft. Report it over the phone by calling 1-877-ID THEFT (877-438-4338) or TDD at 1-866-653-4261. Report it by mail by sending your complaint to Consumer Response Center, FTC, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W. , Washington, DC 20580.
Equifax: Call (800) 525-6285. Experian: Call (888) EXPERIAN or (888) 397-3742. TransUnion: Call (800) 680-7289.
If you think the identify thief contacted the post office to have your address changed, call your local office of the Postal Inspection Service. If you think your tax identification information was used fraudulently, call, the IRS at 1-800-829-0433. If your personal information was used to open a fraudulent bank account, call the financial institution involved to report it. If your personal information was used to make long-distance phone calls or international purchases, call the companies involved to report the problem.
Monetary loss, a common occurrence that happens with money is wired to purchase goods that never arrive. Debt elimination schemes, which involve websites advertising a quick, easy way to get rid of mortgage loans and credit card debts but don’t deliver on their promises. Investment fraud, in which a website offers false claims to obtain investments. The Nigerian letter scam, also called 419, which involves an email from someone claiming to be a Nigerian official offering a share of cash in exchange for help placing money in overseas bank accounts. Spoofing and phishing, which is when someone sends a forged email claiming to be someone you know, often as a scheme to dupe you into giving up credit card information.
Go to www. ic3. gov/default. aspx Accept the “Terms and Conditions” Fill out your personal information and a description of the fraud Submit your complaint
Go to www. usa. gov/topics/consumer. shtml to file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Agency. Go to www. bbb. org to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
Report the fraud immediately to avoid charges. Federal law states that if you report the fraud within 2 days, you will only be responsible for $50 of the fraudulent charges. If you wait more than 2 days, you could be responsible for up to $500 worth of charges. If you wait longer than 60 days, you may be responsible for all of the charges. [7] X Trustworthy Source Federal Trade Commission Website with up-to-date information for consumers from the Federal Trade Commisson Go to source Even if there was just one fraudulent charge on your credit card, you should cancel the card and get a new number, so the person won’t be able to use your card again. If you think your card number was stolen online, or was stolen as the result of using an insecure website, you might also want to report it to the IC3 at www. ic3. gov/default. aspx.
Equifax: Call (800) 525-6285. Experian: Call (888) EXPERIAN or (888) 397-3742. TransUnion: Call (800) 680-7289.
You should also call your bank and close your account, in order to avoid the production of counterfeit checks. Then, notify the police and possibly submit a police report.
